RISE Cities program advances global knowledge of resilient, intelligent, sustainable, and equitable (RISE) cities by strengthening local ecosystems and fostering citizen participation to create citizen-centred solutions. RISE Cities platform engages all urban stakeholders — politicians, bureaucrats, scientists, urbanists, architects, the business community, and civil society —to identify and help implement new strategies and projects for sustainable urban development in conformity with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

RISE stands for:

• RESILIENT: The city, its systems and services have enough resilience to cope with current and upcoming challenges such as population growth, climate change, pandemics, or financial crises. City residents have access to work, education, health care, and services such as food supply, energy, waste management and transportation, as well as a vibrant cultural life.
• INTELLIGENT: An intelligent city uses high-end technology such as digitalization to enhance livability for its residents – for example, by improving city services. The intelligent city also drives science and innovation to serve the common good and promote a positive future for the next generations. The city’s stakeholders feel empowered to act as responsible leaders.
• SUSTAINABLE: A sustainable city implements successful solutions to create systems with a neutral to positive environmental impact. Urban energy systems are based on renewable sources and sustainable concepts – such as natural cooling models or circular economy concepts. Mobility systems are transformed to focus on shared, healthy, and green transportation. Food systems are redesigned to feed the city from within and its immediate surroundings.
• EQUITABLE: In an equitable city, all citizens are equal, regardless of their gender, origin, status, ethnicity or religion. This includes an awareness of and fight against systemic problems such as structural racism. An equitable city strives for fair distribution of resources and provides universal access to basic needs such as security, affordable mobility, and housing.

RISE Cities Fellowship

RISE Cities Fellowship is a hybrid program with a cohort of 24 leaders from 12 European cities working in tandems to develop ideas and solutions for their cities through immersive sessions, masterclasses, online coaching and mentoring by outstanding urban experts and members of the BMW Foundation Responsible Leaders Network.

The BMW Foundation RISE Fellowship program is supported by experienced advisors like GEHL and Urban Impact Agency and other network partners regarding nominations, thematic inputs, and coaching.

Maltese tandem Dr Edward Duca from the University of Malta and Fabian Borg, Head of the Research Innovation Unit, joined the first RISE Cities Fellowship (2022-23) with JUSTNature Gzira.

Fellow/Tandems September 2022 – May 2023

• BERLIN, GERMANY – Green Mobility
• CASCAIS, PORTUGAL – Adapt Cascais Fund
• CLUJ-NAPOCA, ROMANIA – Urban-rural Hub of Transylvania
• EXETER, UNITED KINGDOM – Liveable Exeter
• GZIRA, MALTA – JUSTNature
• HAMBURG, GERMANY – Digital Twins for Cross-Sector Collaboration
• LISBON, PORTUGAL – From Sky to Table
• LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – LJ Works
• MIŃSK MAZOWIECKI, POLAND – The Blockchain City
• VALENCIA, SPAIN – Valencia 360°
• VÄSTERÅS, SWEDEN – Cornerstone Measures